With tailored business growth support from Innovate UK, the company has secured more than £1 million in grant funding, published its first patent, grown its team from two to five and is now targeting a £2.5 million investment raise.

Founded in 2020, Latent Drive is scaling a pioneering system that uses surplus electricity from offshore wind turbines to convert seawater into hydrogen. By removing the conventional need for purified water and enabling hydrogen energy production directly at sea, the technology supports cleaner, more efficient use of the UK’s renewable energy resources.

“Our technology makes green hydrogen production more practical and affordable at scale,” says Frazer Ely, CEO and Founder of Latent Drive. “Our system opens up new possibilities for how we store and use renewable energy – from fuelling vessels and vehicles to decarbonising heat, heavy industry and agriculture.”

Funding and IP unlock scale-up potential

Latent Drive began working with Innovate UK Business Growth in 2020, as it transitioned from producing oxygen for the NHS during the pandemic to focusing on longer-term hydrogen innovation. Following a detailed needs assessment, Innovation and Growth Specialist, Jayne Bradford, developed a tailored action plan to support the business across funding and finance, intellectual property (IP) protection and internationalisation.

Jayne utilised the network of innovation and growth specialists to help the company identify suitable funding opportunities and strengthen its applications through constructive review and feedback.

This resulted in Latent Drive successfully securing several grants from Innovate UK, including a £630,000 Launchpad: marine and maritime in the Great South West grant to build a green hydrogen production site at Portland Port in Dorset. The initiative is being delivered in collaboration with the University of Exeter’s Centre for Future Clean Mobility and is supported by Dorset Council.

A £99,800 Launchpad: net zero industry, South West Wales grant is helping the business develop compact hydrogen units that can be placed in containers and tested in real marine environments. Meanwhile, an Analysis for Innovators grant is supporting work to replace expensive materials like platinum and iridium with stainless steel components, making hydrogen production more affordable at scale.

To support the commercial protection of its innovation, Jayne recommended IP Advance – an Intellectual Property Office (IPO) scheme delivered by Innovate UK Business Growth that included a fully funded IP Audit. This enabled the company to assess its intangible assets and lay the groundwork for a robust IP strategy.

An IP Access grant then helped Latent Drive implement the audit’s recommendations, resulting in its first UK patent being published, with further filings underway in the US, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong and India.

Strengthening commercial confidence

With a stronger IP foundation in place, Latent Drive received additional specialist support to strengthen its investment readiness. Through Innovate UK Business Growth’s Invest-Ability Intensive Training, the company refined its pitch deck, sharpened its valuation strategy and gained practical experience in investor engagement.

Frazer adds: “Through an Invest-Ability workshop, we were able to uncover the strengths and weaknesses in our pitch and we were also able to identify investors through Innovate UK Business Connect. We’re now seeking to raise £2.5 million to expand the company and grow our industrial units.”

International links drive new partnerships

To support Latent Drive’s global ambitions, Jayne recommended Innovate UK’s Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP) to Germany, focused on the hydrogen sector. Delivered by Innovate UK Business Growth, the GBIP connects UK companies with innovation partners and industry leaders in priority overseas markets.

Frazer concludes: “The GBIP provided a real eye-opener into the scale of ambition in Germany. The prestige of being part of the programme opened a lot of doors and gave us access to people whom we would never have met otherwise, particularly at the Hydrogen Tech Expo and Fraunhofer Institute.”

As a direct result of the GBIP, Latent Drive is now collaborating with AquaVentus – a major German consortium with plans to build a 10GW hydrogen-dedicated wind farm in the UK.
Closer to home, Innovate UK Business Growth support has also connected the company with new prospects in the South West region. Following an introduction from Jayne, Frazer spoke at the Maritime UK South West exhibition in Bournemouth in May 2025.

Hydrogen innovation with national impact

Since working with Innovate UK Business Growth, Latent Drive has secured more than £1 million in grant funding, published its first UK patent with further filings underway in the US, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong and India, and grown its team from two to five employees. It has recently moved into larger premises and is now seeking to raise substantial capital to expand its operations and industrial manufacturing capability.

The company is directly contributing to the UK’s Net Zero goals by making green hydrogen more available for use across transport, agriculture, industry and domestic heating.
Latent Drive’s technology addresses key productivity and sustainability challenges in the UK. By producing hydrogen from seawater using surplus renewable energy, it offers a scalable solution that can reduce emissions, protect natural resources and create high-value jobs.

The prestige of being part of the [Innovate UK Business Growth GBIP] programme opened a lot of doors and gave us access to people whom we would never have met otherwise, particularly at the Hydrogen Tech Expo and Fraunhofer Institute.

– Frazer Ely, CEO and Founder, Latent Drive